The best gaming routers in 2024 from ROG and ASUS
Rock-solid networking is too important for gamers to ignore. If you’re still struggling with dropped connections, slowdowns, or dead zones, it's time to reassess your networking equipment and consider an upgrade to one of the best gaming routers. The good news is that you're spoiled for options in 2024. Our latest routers feature cutting-edge WiFi 7 tech, and it’s available across a wide range of models so that everyone from networking enthusiasts to PC gaming newcomers can take advantage of the next-gen speeds and features. Mesh WiFi systems and across-the-series support for AiMesh make it easy to blanket every room in your house with high-quality coverage. And for gamers on a budget, our WiFi 6 lineup still has plenty to offer.
Ready to find your next router? Let’s dig in.
The best overall WiFi 7 gaming router: the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000
If you’re buying a router in 2024, we think you’re best off purchasing a WiFi 7 model. And if you’re looking for a top-tier WiFi 7 experience, your choice is simple. The ROG Rapture GT-BE19000 is your premium pick. Currently available in the EMEA region, this router takes a giant leap forward compared to last-gen tech, offering transfer rates up to 2.4x faster than WiFi 6 with up to twice the bandwidth.
The GT-BE19000 achieves this gen-over-gen boost with a rich set of WiFi 7 technologies. First are ultrawide 320 MHz channels that operate in the low-interference 6 GHz band. 4K-QAM makes each transmission more efficient. And Multi-Link Operation lets clients and access points use more than one band simultaneously to raise throughput and/or lower latency. The result is doubled data transmission capacity, making lag all but nonexistent and allowing more simultaneous transmissions at the fastest-possible speeds. This cutting-edge tech future-proofs your network, letting you spend the next several years without slowdowns or dropped connections.
The wired networking options on the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000 deserve some attention, too. With dual 10G ports and four 2.5G ports that combine for up to 31G of blistering WAN and LAN capacity, this router allows for stunning network options. The 10G LAN port even serves as a dedicated gaming port so that you can prioritize the traffic of your most important gaming device without any configuration.
Better yet, the ROG Rapture is ready for tomorrow’s devices. Its quad-core 2.6 GHz CPU and 2 GB of RAM provide performance strong enough to handle the most demanding scenarios, including 10G and advanced AI networks. You’ll get versatile control of your network, including the exclusive Gaming Network function of Guest Network Pro. Gaming Network gives you a dedicated SSID for gaming that’s ready to accelerate the traffic of your favorite games and devices. You can go even further with network segmentation with dedicated SSIDs for IoT devices, a kids’ network, a guest portal, or a VPN network.
The best WiFi 7 gaming router for network enthusiasts and large homes: the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro
With every generation of WiFi, we introduce a boundary-pushing ROG router that shatters all expectations. For our WiFi 7 lineup, that’s the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro.
This quad-band router goes all-in on WiFi 7 tech. Boasting not one but two 6 GHz bands, the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro allows you to allocate one 6GHz band as a dedicated wireless backhaul with ASUS-exclusive AiMesh technology, all while keeping the second 6GHz band wide open for your devices. Between the two 6GHz bands and the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands, this router offers a staggering 31G wired network capacity.
The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro can use AiMesh to create a seamless mesh network with any compatible ASUS router, letting you expand your network coverage across nearly as many square feet as you want, or throughout every floor of a multi-story dwelling. You can take full advantage of the quad-band advancements to get the best whole-home seamless roaming experience. And you can enjoy the confidence that all your devices are compatible, even the ones from different WiFi generations.
Like the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000, the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro gives you nearly unbounded wired networking options. Dual 10G ports unleash the power of 10 Gbps networking for gaming, streaming, and other data-intensive applications. Four 2.5G ports ensure high-bandwidth connections to a wide range of devices, while the dedicated 10G gaming port ensures that your gaming PC always gets to the front of the bandwidth line.
The best gaming router for apartments: the ASUS RT-BE86U
WiFi may have changed the world and simplified home networking, but plenty of users still take advantage of the reliability and performance offered by wired ethernet connections. That’s especially true for gamers who live in an apartment or condo, where the distance between their PC and their router can often be measured in feet if not inches.
In this kind of a scenario, you might not get as much play from the advanced features of WiFi 7 — but you'll absolutely benefit from bulked-up wired networking options. That’s what you’ll get with the ASUS RT-BE86U. While this dual-band router is no slouch in the wireless department, as it provides a speed boost over most comparable WiFi 6 units with its 6800Mbps bandwidth, dual-band MLO, and 4K QAM, its claim to fame lies in its Ethernet options.
Its 20G total wired capacity makes it a standout option in its price tier. With a 10G WAN/LAN port and four additional 2.5G LAN ports, you’ll have high-bandwidth options for a dedicated gaming port, an Ethernet backhaul, and advanced network configurations.
With a wired workstation at the center of the network, you can also build out the ideal home studio or next-gen entertainment palace. Whether it’s time for console gaming, movie night, or team sports with a roomful of friends, the RT-BE86U has your back. Connect as many devices as you like, knowing that the monster 20G combined network capacity will cover everything.
The RT-BE86U should also be a very tempting choice for folks who currently use our popular ASUS RT-AX86U Pro router. These are both extendable routers, so you can easily use them to create a mesh network. And since they both offer up to seven streams for enhanced throughput, you’ll make efficient use of both routers’ resources in such a network.
The best gaming router for esports teams and studios: the ASUS RT-BE88U
Some common scenarios provide an ideal situation for wired networking. Studios are certainly one example. Esports teams are another, where multiple teammates demand ultra-reliable, blazing-fast connections to keep up with their finely honed reflexes and maintain the accuracy they have practiced many hours to perfect. Streamers also tend to have many devices directly plugged into their routers. These scenarios call for the ASUS RT-BE88U performance router, which bolsters your wired network capacity up to an unimaginable 34G.
With this gaming router, there are more than enough wired connections to go around — it’s a bit like having a router bundled with a multi-gig switch. The roll call of ports includes one cutting-edge 10G SFP+ port and another standard 10G WAN/LAN. Then come eight more LAN ports, four of them 2.5G and the other four Gigabit, to guarantee each and every teammate gets a seat at the lightning-fast-connectivity table. For everyone else, the RT-BE88U leaps forward with all the advancements of WiFi 7, from exceptional speed to extremely low latency and enhanced reliability. The resulting performance for gaming is unparalleled, of course, but it works just as well for streaming, smart home devices, and more.
WiFi 6 remains a great option for many
The latest and greatest tech always claims the spotlight, but there are still reasons why a last-gen WiFi 6 router might make more sense for you in 2024 than a cutting-edge WiFi 7 model. Maybe your region doesn’t offer WiFi 7 connectivity yet. Perhaps your networking needs are rather modest, and you just need a reliable WiFi connection and a reasonable number of Gigabit Ethernet ports. Maybe you need to make the most out of a limited budget. Or maybe you spotted a Black Friday discount that’s just too good to ignore.
The best all-around WiFi 6 gaming router: the ASUS RT-AX82U
Whatever your reasons for preferring WiFi 6 over WiFi 7, we have a full selection of options for a wide range of budgets. One that’s easy to recommend to just about anybody is the ASUS RT-AX82U. This gaming router gives you speeds up to 5400Mbps with all the congestion-busting tech of WiFi 6. Perhaps more importantly, it gives you a rich feature set. To minimize lag and latency for mobile gaming, simply tap Mobile Game Mode on the ASUS Router app. The commercial-grade security in this home router will keep unwanted guests off your network, courtesy of a lifetime pass to free ASUS AiProtection Pro powered by Trend Micro and equipped. Advanced parental controls make it easy to limit screentime for the kids, and AiMesh support allows you to easily set up a whole-home mesh WiFi network with a second compatible AiMesh router.
Besides its considerable performance and versatile network management options, the RT-AX82U provides a touch of style. This is an important consideration in smaller households, where the router often becomes a de-facto decoration. The RT-AX82U keeps your home décor sophisticated with a customizable lighting vibe thanks to its full set of ASUS Aura RGB lighting effects. Setting the mood will be easy whether you’re switching from study time to playtime or just relaxing into your evening.
The best WiFi 6 gaming router for larger homes: the ROG Rapture GT6
Of course, network congestion isn’t the only challenge facing WiFi networks in high-density housing. If you live in a larger condominium or multi-story apartment, you might require a broader range of coverage than a single router can provide. After all, when a household’s router is on the bottom floor in the living area while the bedroom is on the top, users can experience frustrating dead zones or disruptions in service. You can solve that problem — and enjoy a boost in your gaming performance — by upgrading to the ROG Rapture GT6.
This tri-band mesh WiFi system expands your coverage by using nine powerful internal antennas and ASUS RangeBoost technology to blanket up to 5,800 sq. ft. in fast, rock-solid WiFi. To keep you gaming at peak performance, the built-in Triple Level Game Acceleration optimizes traffic at every step, from the server to your device. Compared to a dated WiFi 5 router you might have lying around, this tri-band system offers up to four times the capacity and 2.7 times the speed.
The best budget WiFi 6 gaming routers: the TUF Gaming AX4200 and AX3000
We’ll highlight two final options for budget-minded or casual gamers. If you’re starting fresh in a new home or apartment and you need a rock-solid router that’s cheaper than renting a unit from your ISP, take a look at the TUF Gaming AX4200 and AX3000. These dual-band WiFi 6 gaming routers aren’t as flashy as some of the routers we discussed above, but these durable routers will get the job done. Thanks to AiMesh technology, these extendable routers can still play a role in your network when you make your next router upgrade.
